FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT EC - PAGE 2

The European Community's executive body agreed Wednesday to propose a tax of $10 on a barrel of oil to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but tied the action to similar moves by the United States and others. The steep levy would be equal to about an extra 30 cents a gallon, at a time when Europeans already are taxed about $2.50 on every gallon of gasoline. "It's a historic day for the environment," Carlo Ripa di Meana, the EC's environment commissioner, said in announcing the decision.

ECC may cancel debt: The European Community Commission proposed to cancel $4.3 billion in debt that 69 developing nations owe the EC as a whole. The debt is owed by African, Caribbean and Pacific nations that have special trade ties with the EC.

Japanese cars face EC freeze: Top envoys from European Community countries agreed in principle to a plan to freeze Japanese car imports for seven years after the EC's internal borders are lifted in 1993. Imports of Japanese cars would be virtually frozen at the 1990 level of 1.3 million a year up to 1999.

Another trade salvo: U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor said Monday the United States would bar government awards for goods and services from some or all European Community nations if the EC does not end discrimination against U.S. goods by March 22. The action follows an almost year-long effort to reverse an EC directive that gives preferences to companies from within the 12-nation bloc on certain public purchases, such as equipment for telecommunications...

EC knocks U.S. steel duties: The European Community said Tuesday that a United States announcement of temporary duties on subsidized steel from six EC states might darken prospects for a worldwide trade accord. The EC's executive European Commission described the U.S. move on steel as unjustified and refused to rule out retaliation. "This unilateral move is not necessarily fruitful for the climate of the general (GATT) negotiation," a commission spokesman said. Washington, acting on complaints from U.S. steelmakers, Monday announced duties of up to 59 percent on steel imports from a total of 12 countries.

A trans-Atlantic "pasta war" erupted Friday when the United States sharply raised import tariffs on pasta imports from Europe to protest European Community trade policies that curtail U.S. citrus exports. The EC responded by slapping higher import duties on U.S. lemons and walnuts. U.S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter said that "at the time of rising protectionist sentiment in the world, the EC response is extremely disappointing."

Try this nightmare on for size: It's Friday night and the condom breaks. What now? Emergency contraception--the morning-after pill--allows women to prevent pregnancy in the event of such an accident. But even responsible women who know about the pill (a shockingly low 12 percent in the U.S.) may have trouble finding it in time. Emergency contraception helps prevent pregnancy only if used within 24 to 72 hours after sex. Hunting down a doctor can be difficult over the weekend or holidays, and getting and filling the prescription takes time too. Thankfully, the problem could be solved soon.

No settlement: The European Community's executive commission said Thursday it had rejected a U.S. demand for a binding panel to settle a trade dispute over oilseeds. "We agreed to disagree," said a spokesman for the commission. At issue is a dispute before the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade over EC subsidies to its oilseeds producers. The EC has agreed to compensate foreign exporters harmed by its subsidies and offered the United States and nine other oilseeds exporters $400 million compensation.